Most areas of nanotechnology are at an early stage of their
development. Research in nanoscience and nanotechnology will contribute to the
achievement of fundamental breakthroughs in nanomaterials and processes in
energy systems. In the near future nanotechnology will contribute to efficient
and low-cost systems for generating, storing, and transporting energy.

Materials and structures that are designed and fabricated at the
nanoscale level offer the potential to enhance efficiencies and reduce costs in
solar photovoltaic systems, solar thermal systems, fuel cells and other energy
technologies.

Nanostructured materials and thin films offer the potential for
significant improvements in energy technology and photo-electronic properties
based on improvements in physical, chemical and nanomechanical properties
resulting from reducing microstructural features by decreasing the grain size
of a material to the nanometer range compared to current technological
materials. For example, efficient solar photothermal conversion benefits from
spectrally selective absorber nanostructured graded surfaces.

This symposium on nanotechnology for energy technologies was
designed to bring together different disciplines of energy technology and to
discuss the possible benefits of nanoscience and nanotechnology in their
R&D efforts. Besides other energy areas, nanotechnology's potential impact
on solar energy, fuel cells and storage in particular will be addressed at the
symposium. The symposium will also review the current state of knowledge in the
field of nanomaterials, functional surfaces and nanostructured coatings for
efficient energy systems as well present novel applications and current
challenges and opportunities.

We expect that this symposium could be also a gate way for high tech
ideas and to find partners in innovative research proposals for the new 7PQ of
the European Commission.

Attending this symposium, scientists, engineers and industrial
technicians will have the opportunity to interchange their knowledge, research
experience, technology and applications of the field of Nanotechnology,
Nanomaterials and Thin Films for Energy Technologies. We also encourage
participating to young scientists and engineers as well technicians and experts
from nanomaterials and coatings industry.

Both academic and industrial presentations are welcome at the
symposium.

Main Topics
covered:

The abstract submissions are now being
accepted. Proposed topics include, but are not be limited to production,
characterization and modeling of:

Short abstracts of maximum one A4 page length (with no figures or
tables integrated) on any of the above topics should be e-mailed to contact@nanosmat.orgwith cc to vasco@fisica.uminho.pt
by 28 February 2007. Please refer the symposium preferred for the presentation.